The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1887-03-10
to be BRIEF will state that the soil Feda wilt produce

produce.
Dr0s"0ge has much effect soils in regard fertility
Excessive drainage is alike detrimental with deficient
Hence, localities where seeds in the ground and plants
rooted therein where water resting continuously WILL
nearly all cases. be destructive of the seeds and plants
while excessive moisture in the EARTH though contna
GUS, will still occasion much damage On the other hand,
it accords with general observation that soils which
eached by constant continuous drainage in of
mill dams, which when the attempt made to recover the
lands, will be found to be comparatively nonproductive
however dark good looking the soil may appear Thus
known that the bottom lands and flats that have stand
ing water resting long upon them, and have dspacemen
after they had been saturated by the strength of the
SOIL such soils impoverished thereby Many persons
surprised by the results of attempts recovery lands
in such circumstances On the other hand lakes that
simple recepacle and little exposed to drainage will
leave rich soil when recovered Occasional overows Of
river bottoms of the Nile and Mississippi will also
rich the lands the water only remains long enough
precpitate their silt.
These facts here enumerated explain much concerning the
differences in the fertility of soils of similar appearance in
Florida where the lakes and where tracts
of lands liable occasional but brief overows Thus
happens that the black and dark coored soils of Florida
are almost universally very fertile
When the dark soils not satisfactorily productive it is
very probable that they will only need the application of
potash in the form of wood ashes and phosporc acid
form of phosphate of lime Stable manure also very
beneficial to such SOILS
The sandy lands that lack productveness need organic
material in the form of vegetable compos and
Donate of lme marls and of course phosphate of lime
will greatly help such lands
take in this report to discuss the subject
of timbers indicating the qualities of Soils excepting
only in brief way.
Oaks and hickory timber generally indicate the presence
of clay though this may not be readily detected at
the surface This kind timber proves the soil to be good
Pine may grow poor land but may also be found
those that are rich When cypress stand in ground
that has clay bed the surface of sufficient compact
ness hold water the roots of these trees will send their
characteristic knees" These also appear where water held
the surface by other by dams and high
levels the knees also sent up The roots
qure exposure to air as free at least in soils out of
water Hence there criterion in cypress "knees that
determine habitual water levels The gum grows only in
rich soil large extent though oerates the presence
of water over its roots yet will endure permanent
submergence The cabbage palmetto requires rch moist
sandy soil (prefers mari in the soiD, but will not
endure permanent submerson of its The scrub
palmetto will grow in the poorest sandy soil, and al
though it is found in rich lands also yet its pres
ence is no proof that the land rich Dogwood cherry
walnut magnolia, elm linden, blue beech, spicewood,
prckly ash, bay and sweet gum indicate rich soil.
can omit noticing in this report the ncalcuabe
mischief that continuously done in sections of the
State in the way of impoversng the SOIL by the annual
firing of the woods Those who either favor tolerate the
practice cannot have anything OF proper conception of
the vasness of the damage thus done if they have they
must surely have regard for the best interests of the
State which interests certainly connected with the
quality of the soil.
Forests the ground immensely, and in Florida cotim
ousla In an ordinarily we'll timbered there is
less than two tons of ertzing material taken from the
ground to the acre. annually. When the woods fired
bv far the greater portion of this is driven off and pena
nenty lost the spot 1t is not only the carbon of the
materials which goes off in the smoke and vapos that
lost but the Salts of potash &C., that remain in the
ashes These brought into solution by the first rain
which soaks them and the running away Of the water hold
ing these materials their solution carry off the potash
&c., with them Before the spongioes and fbres of the
roots of the trees had taken these SALTS they greatly
less free and 30 undsturbed by the passage of water
good extent now when the action of the fire has freed
them they will easily be taken away in solutions How
long will one suppose it will thus take until rich soil will
be exhausted of its plant food and be completely impover
ishedq And who that has not discovered that those
woods that are annually fired have soil if any, it is
nerhaps only from a half inch inch in thick
ness being simply the product of the last years decayed
yegetaon now in turn to be burnt up in connection with
the last crop of leaves
Nor is the impoverishment of the soil the only mischief
thus done for the trees-whch by deep penetration
of their roots may have maintained feeble e-are des
tined by the practice utter ruin Before this happens the
stump caudces sooed OUT and the dwarfed stems
forced into lateral posure which all know to be charac
teristic of the scrub woods in the "barrens
can but indulge the fondest hope that Legislature
within the very next sessonput efectual stop, by
law to the practice of firing the woods
MINERAL DEPOSITS.
Il has not been expected that the geological survey
Florida would eventuate the discovery of the precious
metals that great mines of the baser ones would re-
ward the labor of the survey YET has been we'll judged
that besides all that sciencethus appedwoud do for